Author: kenny manson

Following on from my previous post on my personal processes I thought I’d introduce you to one of my go-to tools – The Trigger Point Therapy Massage Ball. When I coached at Healthhaus I earned the nickname in some quarters of ‘The Pain Whisperer’ – other coaches would seek me out to help with certain clients who had movement restrictions or challenges for which they needed a strategy or second opinion. Throughout this time I never once attempted to ‘fix’ someone, and would always consider clinical referral as an option. What I did consistently do though was to simply listen to the client and when it came to providing my contribution my aim was to have them feeling or moving just 1% better. This was often exceeded and I was able to assist both client and coach with ideas, exercises or protocols to sustain or indeed improve the situation. I also had an extensive toolbox of equipment to utilise gathered from my training credentials and professional curiosity and the TP Massage Ball was one such piece of kit.

All Shook Up

Whilst I don’t profess to being particularly flexible or consider that I’ve superb posture, it’s rare for me to be injured. I’m tuned in to what my body can do and I listen when it speaks. So it was a surprise last week when I became aware of what felt like tension in my lower left leg. It wasn’t particularly painful, didn’t restrict my movement or range of motion yet it was sapping my energy, concentration and focus. My initial response was that it might have been a reaction to a new supplement I’d just started taking. So I removed it from my diet, allowed it time to leave my body, but to no avail. I then looked back over my sleep, hydration, stress and exercise patterns -a skill I picked up from my mentoring from OD on Movement and then pinpointed a possible culprit. I’d increased the weights on an exercise I found challenging – this could well be the cause.

Usually when we’ve over-reached or over-trained the most significant response we feel is muscular soreness/stiffness. Think walking like John Wayne, having Elvis legs and/or wondering if we’re ever going to be able to get back up off the toilet again. However, what I was experiencing was not any muscular trauma. Instead it was trauma affecting my nervous system and connective tissue. Whilst I hadn’t overcooked my muscles in performing the exercise my nervous system had clearly blown a fuse.

Love Me Tender – Finesse Not Force

With this insight and using the TP Therapy ball I was able to explore along the line of the body that I thought was over-active, the one sending all the additional signals to my brain that were my source of distraction. Returning to my fuse analogy above I consider there are lines within the body almost like a string of Christmas Tree lights – when a line is playing up in some way you might have to check all along it to find the blown lamp or, in this case, the source of the change in balance in the body.

Within a few minutes of running the massage ball firmly (think using finesse not force) over this line, from the outside of my calf muscle (where the sensation was strongest) and thigh, across my hip and into my lower back the feeling had gone. Which area of intervention had caused the sudden improvement? To be honest I’ve no idea. I believe given the dynamic nature of the exercise I’d been doing that I’d blown more than one lamp, that each area benefited from some attention. Over the past few days I still need to use the ball a couple of times on these 4 sites for a minute or two and as soon as I do I’m fine again.

At least one TP Therapy Massage ball is constantly in my training bag and it’s one of the first things I pack when I travel. It’s small enough to easily fit in my palm, is light and has some pliability which means I can use it anywhere and anytime. It’s The King of my kit. With one, you too can become you very own Pain Whisperer.

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Or, What To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do.

This post has been written for my good friend and coaching colleague Dan Reis whom, among other endeavours, runs his online personal training business DNA Fitness Online.

Dan kindly invited me to write for him and asked if I could pen something that other personal coaches and fitness trainers would find useful. I had a number of ideas on what I wanted to write about, but one kept resurfacing: Research.

In creating this piece I decided I wanted to achieve two key things. The first is to provide some actionable tools and resources for you to use. You’ll find links to these throughout the text. The second is to throw the subject matter open a bit further. Whilst this post is primarily for personal coaches and fitness trainers (and is framed in that context), the principles, resources and tools within could be applied in almost any learning environment, field of study or workplace.

What Do You Know?

As a coach you might be comfortable reading up on research articles, but for many of us the prospect of doing so can be daunting. Programming for clients with a lean body mass goal? No problem. Providing general nutritional recommendations? Easy. Then a client comes in and mentions that they’ve seen something online (they can’t remember where) which says if they do 30 repetitions of an exercise with a lighter weight for a short period of time then they’ll see larger longer-term gains. Would this help them? Or you have a client that has replaced sugar in their drinks with artificial sweeteners. They want to know if it’s a good thing to do as part of a weight loss goal? Suddenly the answers may not be so straightforward and clear-cut. You’re thinking you might need to dust off the textbooks or consult your online course notes to find out how best to respond. Or you might even have to do some research.

How Do You Know What You Know?

This is quite a deceptive question, so let it sink in. Take anything you know, anything you hold to be true. How do you know what you know? Let’s say you consider the deadlift to be the best exercise around for strengthening hamstrings. Or that you believe that a kettlebell is a great tool for performing a shoulder press. How do you know what you know? Perhaps you consider High Intensity Training (HIT) the best form of training. That it’s important to keep hydrated. How do you know what you know?

Therefore it’s important to have awareness of two things:

WHAT and HOW you think, and

WHY you think that way.

The awareness these questions bring allows you to challenge your own thoughts and become curious about knowledge. How has my knowledge been produced? How do I know what I know? These questions may then lead you to think this: how is any knowledge produced? Here’s where research comes in.

Where To Start The (Re)Search

Before you start the research let’s take a step back. You’ve a client who has brought up a question for which you don’t have an immediate answer. Will you give them an immediate answer anyway? After all, the ‘fake it til you make it’ approach hasn’t turned into ‘fake it til you screw it up spectacularly’ …yet (see graph above for a somewhat more academic explanation of this phenomenon). Will you attempt to deftly side-step the query, get back to the round of press-ups that have been rudely interrupted by the question and hope the matter never ever comes up again? Or will you provide a ‘well, it depends’ answer and shut down the conversation faster than you can neck a protein shake on leg day? Maybe you would choose one of those options. However, if you’re faced with a situation where you genuinely don’t know what the answer to your client’s question is then I would recommend you start with this:

“I don’t know, but I’ll find out and get back to you on this. Would that be reasonable with you?”

This response, whether it’s been in my fitness or financial career, has served me well on countless occasions. Here’s a few reasons why:

You’re admitting you don’t know. This may be counter-intuitive, especially as the client is paying you some of their hard-earned money to receive your advice and you’re conscious of coming across as the gym-floor idiot. But I strongly believe it’s doing the opposite; – that it’s building, maintaining and/or strengthening rapport between you and your client. You’re showing that you’re human too.

You’re taking responsibility. If there’s only one thing you take away from this post I would ask that it’s this: take responsibility. From an organisational perspective I’d never experienced upward delegation until I worked in a gym. It was frustrating and fascinating in equal measure. It never ceases to amaze me that a lot of coaches/instructors/trainers claim to be doing the work in order to help others yet at times cannot or do not address client or member concerns. That they need to pass the matter to someone else. Whenever this happens a great opportunity to show you care has been missed. From experience the opposite tends to happen. The magical, mystical ‘someone else’ might get the message. They might – if time and existing demands allow – look into the matter. They might even be able to reply. Here’s the fact: If you don’t actively take personal ownership and responsibility you might as well say, “I don’t care.” Whether you think it or not, irrespective of whether you like it or not, that’s how your lack of action is perceived. Trust me. I’ve had enough conversations with upset members and colleagues to know this. I’ve even taken on clients this way, not through my hard work but through someone else’s willingness to drop the ball. I could probably write a book, never mind an article, on this subject alone. I don’t want to, so please, take responsibility.

You’re setting expectations.You’re making it clear you’ll take action and that there will be an outcome. It may be that ultimately you come back to an ‘it depends’ response. But at least now you know why ‘it depends’ and perhaps the conversation evolves.

You’re seeking permission, creating accountability and creating deeper rapport. By asking if your planned course of action is reasonable you’re creating buy-in to what you propose. Whilst you’ll look into the matter further, your client feels that (i) you’ve listened to them, and (ii) knows what you’re going to be doing to some extent. They feel they’re part of the matter and will appreciate the efforts you go to. It’s rare that when you ask someone if what you plan to do for them is reasonable for them to object. You’ll almost always encounter approval for what you’re proposing to do.

You’re not only addressing the question, you’re also addressing the client and their needs. And just for the sake of clarity, it’s vital you do the latter.

Back To The Research

You have the unfathomable question from your client. You’ve made it clear that you’re going to have to look up the matter. Now what? Well if you’re wanting to delve deeper than your existing sources of knowledge then there are a few online options worth looking into. I’ve provided four such options below:

Google Scholar works in much the same way as Google itself, with its’ searches focusing on academic publications and materials. To test it out I typed ‘tennis elbow’ into the search terms and the site produced a staggering 54,700 results. To narrow it down, the menu on the left hand side provides options to sort articles by date and whether you want to include patents or citations (Tip: for the best part you won’t want these so they can be unchecked). In my example doing so reduced the number of articles by over 10,000.

If you’re looking to do some specific research in regards to nutrition and supplementation then you might want to check out Examine.com. Go to their home page and type in your search terms. The website is extremely well organised and will give you key summarised information on your search term (I used ‘Coenzyme Q10’ as an example) as well as the number of references to the term in scientific papers (over 300 in this instance).

Taking a much wider approach is the Public Library of Science, with a myriad of scientific research. To give you some idea, I typed ‘fascia’ into the search field and the website produced 3,550 results. Out of interest I typed ‘foot fascia’ – even with such specifics the website contained 176 results.

As with the other references, when you go to the PubMed home page, you simply put your search terms into the search field to obtain a list of results. A quick search for ‘Vitamin K side-effects’ brought up 4,268 results which can then be further sorted by date, type, whether you wish to review (i) an abstract, (ii) free full text, or (iii) full text, and species. In my example, simply selecting ‘humans’ removed over 600 results from the initial search.

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

Even when you find a research article or two you then need to make sense of them. It doesn’t need to be as harrowing an experience as you might be thinking it will be, especially if you choose to follow or use some of the information below.

When reviewing scientific research papers and articles I’ve used some of the techniques I discovered in ‘Brilliant Speed Reading‘ by Phil Chambers. Whilst the book can help you read faster, what I took from it was how to read smarter. In the book the author outlines where to focus your attention when it comes to scientific papers. Included in this are some of the following areas:

Title – What’s the paper about, is it appropriate for what you’re wanting to learn?

Key Definitions – These might be included. If not, or if there’s another term you don’t know then you can use a search engine such as Google to help you. Tip: A quick way to do this – type ‘define:‘ in front of the particular word and then search the results. (Make sure you include the colon punctuation mark : if you do try this.)

Methods – For example, how did the researchers go about determining their population, how did they perform their research?

Results – What did the researchers observe? Were their observations expected or unexpected?

Conclusion – What have the researchers concluded? Do they recommend further research?

Citations – Details on any studies cited within the paper.

In addition to this it may be useful to look at any tables, graphs and/or diagrams that may be included in a research article as these tend to get to the core of the matter quicker than the written word. If there are shaded areas in the paper again this may be information that is summarised and therefore easier to grasp than wading through all the technical details.

When faced with a long section of information I will usually read the section heading and then the first and last paragraphs. Why? Chances are the key information; the introduction, summary and conclusion are in those two paragraphs. If I do then decide that I want to read the whole section then I have some context before I wade in.

Linked to this technique is something I refer to as ‘swim to the other side‘. If you wade into a section and feel like you’re getting out of your depth, keep going. Don’t get hung up on the exact meaning and nuance of every single word. Instead try and gain an understanding of the key concepts and information. Try and absorb the main ideas. By the time you’ve reached the other side you may well understand more than if you’re treading water in the midst of the section.

Let’s Talk About Statistics

If digging into the technical details and statistical analysis of a research paper is something you want to do then I’d recommend reading the section on ‘Let’s Talk About Statistics‘ featured in this superb post by Tim Ferriss as a very good place to start learning about the concepts of p-value and null hypothesis.

Organising Your Research

Something that I’ve found helpful in reviewing research has been to use a matrix to write out my understanding and findings. I created such a matrix off the back of and in conjunction with my current studies and mentoring from Precision Nutrition. (That’s also the source of the disarmingly deceptive question.) You can access and download a copy of it here. Please feel free to do so.

I’ve created this matrix to be able to compare and contrast up to 4 research articles at any one time, to help me gather and organise my thoughts. It’s essentially looking at research papers and articles from 5 perspectives.

Comprehend – What are the main points in each study? What are the general findings? How would you summarise the studies in your own words?

Analyse – Compare this (new) information to your existing understanding of the topic. What is new, different, contrary, etc to your previous understanding?

Synthesise – When considered together, how do these studies add to your understanding of the topic?

Evaluate – What conclusion(s) do you come to based on the (new) information?

Apply – What key findings from these studies would you share with your audience?

There’s one other precious source of information we might have a tendency to overlook, yet it may be one of the most beneficial to employ in our quest for knowledge – our peers and colleagues. How do they know what they know? There’s a good chance that they have reliable sources of information and can help you in your quest for knowledge. What’s more, they can make your learning come to life, discuss and challenge your thought processes. Don’t rely on them to do the work for you though, and ask more than once for their help if needs be. For they’re most likely very busy too and if you can demonstrate that you’ve taken some steps, no matter how small, to get to grips with the matter in question then the chances of receiving their input will increase greatly.

Over To You

Take anything you wish, from a long-held belief to the benefits of a certain exercise or training modality, and apply some of the options and resources above to it. How do you know what you know? How and why do you know that? What if there’s more to know? How can you find out more? What if – heaven forbid – you have to reconsider your point of view altogether?

There’s only one way to find out…and you never know, you might even enjoy the learning process!

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I’m fascinated by language, how the words we choose tells our story, and how the emphasis we do or don’t give them impacts ourselves and others.

I recall having to tell someone I couldn’t participate in an event they were organising. I explained my reasons as to why. The response received was a single word: ‘Thanks’.

The word meant one thing, the response another. And I considered this and subsequently evolved my thinking and actions from this experience. Nowadays, instead of saying ‘Thanks’, I consciously say ‘Thank You’; – to acknowledge the person as well as the deed.

My world and the impact on those I meet is more meaningful and authentic by this simple change.

What changes have you made to the words you use that you’ve found useful?

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“You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” – John C. Maxwell

My local supermarket doesn’t have automatic doors. It has two doors, side-by-side; one for those entering the store and one for those exiting. Yesterday, as I was leaving, I held open the (exit) door for someone who was about to go into the store. A small act of kindness and manners on my part towards a stranger. Yet despite that person recognising and appreciating the fact that I was holding the door open for them, they still went in via the ‘normal’ entrance door. As I was walking home it struck me that the same thing had occurred once before. Why would that be? In considering that question it led me to think about how often we do things out of conditioning, because we ‘should’, because there are rules and expected ways of behaviour, even when there could well be a different option or way laid out before us. How we become comfortable with the certainty of an established routine when perhaps allowing more uncertainty into our lives would lead to us being happier and more successful.

There’s an enormous amount of ways you could apply changing a routine to everyday life; it’s not limited to just the bigger and longer-term life goals. You could take a different route to work, experiment with adding a new ingredient into a favourite recipe, setting an incline on the treadmill at the gym rather than constantly running on the flat, opting to read a book before going to sleep instead of being online. The list is endless and the best part is this: the choice is yours.

If you’re looking to make a change, no matter how big or small, the first thing to do is to identify it. Write it down. What’s the thing that’s irritating you, the thing you want to take positive action on? Then decide upon the action you wish to take. To start with it doesn’t necessarily have to be huge, sweeping change – it simply has to be a step in the right direction, something you feel you can achieve. Then resolve to taking that action.

If you’re going to change something up in your everyday routine, or even in how you’re approaching a larger goal then I’d love to hear your plan in the comments below. Embrace the unknown and uncertain, and strive to seek enjoyment in every moment.

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A few months ago I was invited to present a health and lifestyle talk, the subject of which was my move from finance to fitness. The purpose of the talk was partly to share my story and also to take a look at some aspects of the health, wellness and fitness worlds that I thought merited a closer inspection. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of those worlds. It was a great talk to prepare and present. Rather than take a normal Q&A session at the end, I had asked members of the club for whom I was giving the talk to submit questions in advance. The idea being two-fold; anyone that entered a question had an opportunity to win a coaching session with me, and also it meant that the questions could be handed out to the audience members to ask me. I was unaware of what might come up so it was a fun way to end the evening. One of the questions that was submitted, that I decided to make the topic for this post, was:

‘I’m interested to know, what is your top tip for staying focussed on the benefit of exercise?’

I thought this was a great question, as the person asking the question was already of the opinion that exercise was beneficial to them. I wasn’t being asked about the numerous benefits of exercise. Instead I was being asked about how to stay focussed on the benefit. For that person, staying focussed was the challenge. Not to ignore the context of the question and to touch briefly on exercise, my viewpoint is that all movement is exercise. I appreciate though that exercise tends to be associated with going to a gym or fitness centre and working out. So I chose to answer the question from that perspective, and below I’ve retained that example for illustrative purposes, though the principles outlined could be applied to any situation where adherence to a goal is challenging.

Essentially, my answer centres on identifying and understanding the underlying values that drive the behaviour. This can be done by using a series of questions to ask yourself. They are:

What is the reason why you are exercising?

What is the benefit you believe exercise is providing you?

Why is that important to you?

These questions can be reduced to one question:

Why are you doing what you are doing?

However, in order to arrive at that question it’s worthwhile going through the other three questions and providing some colour to them. After all, things are rarely black and white!

What Is The Reason Why You Are Exercising?

There could be a whole host of reasons as to why a person chooses to begin or to resume exercise. Weight loss, overcoming an injury, increasing lean body mass, training for a race and general improved health and well-being are just some examples. It’ll be different for each person, and could be a combination of factors. The important part is to identify the reason(s) or goal(s) for the action.

When it comes to goals, where possible and appropriate I like to help my clients set goals which are behaviour-based goals as opposed to being outcome-based goals. An example of an outcome-based goal would be to reduce blood pressure by 20 points in 3 months. An example of a behaviour-based goal would be to drink two cups of coffee a day instead of four. The key difference between an outcome-based goal and a behaviour-based goal is the element of choice and control you have. The decision as to whether to drink two or four cups of coffee is down to the choices made by the individual. The ability to reduce blood pressure levels could be at the mercy of a host of factors, some of which a person may be able to exert some control and choice over (eg: making nutritional adjustments) but also may be at the whim of external matters that there is seemingly little or no control over (eg: work-related stress).

Also, with behaviour-based goals it’s easier to identify obstacles and overcome challenges. If the daily coffee intake has gone down to three cups then first of all it is a step in the right direction and, through determining how that was made possible, finding the cause of the success, strategies for further success (in this case, reducing consumption down by a further cup per day) can be planned and put into practice. The behaviour is the process through which the (outcome) goal can be reached.

What Is The Benefit You Believe Exercise Is Providing You?

Now things get more interesting. The benefits of exercise are certainly numerous, but the perceived benefits of exercise that an individual expresses may be few. It may be that by exercising a person believes they will be better able to play with their children or grandchildren. It may be that the person believes that by exercising it will help them drop a dress size for an upcoming important event. It could be that a person considers exercise as a good way to socialise. The list goes on and on. Whatever the belief may be, being aware of it is to be aware of that person’s needs and wants when it comes to exercise.

From my coaching experience, I don’t look at a person’s perception of the benefits they are deriving from exercise through merely a professional or scientific point of view. For example, a person may be spending a lot of time in the gym on cardio machines with the aim of losing weight. If I approached the scenario simply from the basis of showing (off) how much knowledge I may have on the subject it’s not going to help. Unless they’re doing something I consider unsafe I’m not about to start correcting someone for whom maybe even just coming to the gym is a challenge, let alone exercising. For I’d be invalidating that person’s beliefs. I’d be, on some level, telling that person that they were wrong. I’m not going to ‘correct’ anyone. Rather, over time, new coaching concepts and tools can be introduced and integrated to further guide the person towards their goal in an empowering way. They can take in new information and with it be in a position to make better decisions. At the outset I want to listen and understand. To get to know the person, their obstacles and their abilities, not just the problem.

Why Is That Important To You?

‘Why?’ is such a powerful question. It really gets to the heart of the matter. In goal setting or adherence it speaks beyond our needs and reaches out to uncover our values. Our core beliefs. From moving through the process, identifying the reason and determining the perceived benefits of exercise now is when the driver of the action can be discovered. The why.

To illustrate the point from another angle, a dental appointment is something few of us look forward to. We know it could involve some level of discomfort. It may, depending on where we live, be quite expensive to receive dental treatment. It may be an inconvenience. But nevertheless we go to the dentist. Why? Because we acknowledge that it is important to have healthy teeth and gums – we place a value on it – and are prepared offset other values we may have around pain, money and time in order to ensure that the value we place highest (our health) is met. Our values and actions are in alignment.

As with the benefits, the rationale as to why exercising is important could be any number of things, but will most likely come down to one or two reasons for each person. It may be that a person wants to have fun when they exercise, or that they want to inspire their loved ones, or that their doctor has indicated they need to take action to offset the risk of a certain condition and they want to achieve something for themselves. In coaching, this is where I’ve found the greatest connection can be made and I look to facilitate an understanding for a client as to whether there is good alignment between their goals and their values, especially if staying focussed is challenging.

Staying Focussed – Will Tracking Progress Help?

Another possible option is to track your progress towards a goal. This can be helpful insofar as it can help you see how far you have come in respect to that goal, to see and recognise what you have achieved already. It can also help in terms of a ‘course-correct’. If by tracking you can see that progress is deviating from where you would wish to be then remedial action can be taken. Personally, I would look at resetting the goal, perhaps breaking the goal down into smaller goals with a greater chance of achievement, rather than be in a potential situation where you may be debating taking drastic, unsustainable or unhealthy action to meet a target.

If you find you are off course it’s important to remember two things: 1. you have taken positive action towards achieving something, you are doing it, and 2. be kind to yourself. Appreciate the efforts you have taken in making a positive change.

Next Steps

Staying focussed on your goals doesn’t have to involve super-human feats of mind-control, or require some secret skill possessed by the few. By going through the questions above, thinking about your answers and taking a few minutes to write them down may prove to be an extremely useful exercise. Read them out loud to yourself, or keep them in a prominent place if that helps you. Refer back to them as, over time, circumstances and values can change. Through being aware of your values and ensuring that your actions are in line with those values you can then move towards your goals with greater ease.

Give it a try, especially with a goal or behaviour that has proved challenging in the past. By doing so, you may even find that there is no need to focus at all.

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“As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

One objective I have in writing is to share some of my own processes, to give back some of what I’ve learned to a wider audience. This post is the first in a series directly dedicated to that aim. With such posts, whether it be about a daily routine I’ve adopted or a product I use, I want to make it clear that, unless it’s explicitly stated, I’m not being paid or receiving any incentive to do so. As is the case in this instance, I’m simply excited to be sharing my experiences with you and hopefully throwing some actionable information into the mix for you too.

As part of my coaching and mentoring I’ve had the great privilege to learn from Ian O’Dwyer (OD) and Gareth Houley of OD on Movement (ODOM). My introduction to ODOM came as part of my coaching studies with PTA Global and I instinctively knew that I had to learn more about ODOM’s approach to movement, fitness and wellness. The opportunity for me to do so came about last year and so I booked my flights, packed my bags and headed halfway across the world to play with the ODOM philosophy at one of their semi-annual ODOM mentorships.

ODOM, Noosa, August 2015

I have to start by making a confession. Before composing this post I had not reviewed the handouts from the ODOM mentorship. Let me tell you that’s a significant departure for me. Usually when I attend a course or workshop I’m all over the handouts, drafting notes upon notes, each scribble more illegible than the last as I attempt to take down the information being conveyed. This time around my note-taking was practically non-existent. And that was just the start of a number of ways in which my learning experience over the three days of the ODOM mentorship differed from everything I’ve done before in my wellness career.

Suspend All Expectations

At first I was a little surprised to finally see first-hand the facility where OD and his team undertake their transformative coaching. I’ve been in quite a few gyms around the world and was working in a recently opened health club, one equipped with some of the latest fitness technologies. By contrast, with the exception of some vibrational plates nothing here required plugging in. Barely any of the traditional weight equipment either. The comparatively small space immediately felt refreshing and inspiring.

The ODOM mentorship runs every six months. The number of attendees is kept low so as to allow each participant, mentor and mentee alike, to have a high quality experience. Alongside me there were seven other attendees and as a group we represented a mix of ages, genders, cultures, career backgrounds and experience. At the outset we each spoke of our expectations of the mentorship. I stated that my key expectation was simply to be fully present. In hindsight I perhaps didn’t fully appreciate the consequential outcome of what I had just said. For I was placing the responsibility for my experience primarily onto myself, to essentially get out of my own head and be tuned into the group dynamic. To set my notebook to one side, to listen, connect and contribute in the here and now. To physically integrate what I may learn as opposed to analysing it from an intellectual or theoretical viewpoint. To be plugged in.

Forces, Tissue and Motion. And Motivation.

The ODOM mentorship is a mixture of theory and hands-on training. In terms of the theoretical work it was based around the concepts of forces, tissue and motion, in which Gareth and OD guided and mentored us. Before that though we took time to discuss and explore our values and our motivations as to why we do what we do, and to consider if how we currently work was sustainable. What I found intriguing about this exercise was that there was no exercise. Maybe it was down to my prior experiences of this topic that I expected to list values or write down goals. Where I saw myself in X years time. None of that. It was simply a discussion, yet a profound one. One that was far from over.

Tissue: Integration and Isolation

The systems of the body have in the past, for the best part, been viewed in isolation from one another and, when each system has been looked at individually, they have been liable to be considered from a reduced perspective. In discussing tissue, Gareth and OD were taking a different approach, one of looking at the body and its’ systems from an integrated perspective. For example, instead of viewing the hamstring muscle in the backs of the legs in isolation, an integrated approach sees the hamstring as part of a line of muscles stretching from the underside of the toes all the way up the back of the body, coming over the scalp and ending at the eyebrows. Viewing the hamstring (and indeed, the body) from this perspective drastically changes our perception of the hamstring and how it can be influenced. Suddenly tight hamstrings may not simply be as a result of having tight hamstrings. Maybe it’s due to a postural reason in the skeletal system, maybe it’s linked to the nervous system, maybe it’s down to a disordered breathing pattern, maybe its down to tension in the myofascial system. Maybe something else again. The focus was on seeing the human being as a whole and how to enhance one’s state of being.

Tissue: The Myofascial System

To delve into the world of myofascial system (commonly referred to as the fascial system) is more than the scope of this post could hope to address. However it’s worth noting one thing: the fascial system is the largest system in the body and it integrates with all other systems of the body. If you are interested in learning more about it then this excellent reference by Anatomy Trains is a good place to start. ODOM place a great emphasis on the fascial system, the principles underpinning it and tools they use to create change upon it, such as breathwork, fascial freeing techniques – which differ from self-myofascial release (SMR) techniques – and fascial mobilisers. Throughout the weekend there were numerous opportunities to investigate and use the tools, either individually, with a partner or as a group to create positive outcomes and change.

All Movement Is Exercise

Think about that for a moment. All movement is exercise. It seems obvious. Yet our everyday movement patterns, our regular motions that one is asking the body to do can be the very thing that induces varying degrees of discomfort, tension and stress for many people. We could be on top of the world and moving well, or be experiencing a fear to move because movement causes pain. So as well as spending time on considering how motion could be varied to create response in the fascial system using fascial mobilisers and freeing, another tool that Gareth and OD introduced to guide us and our clients to help enhance connection with how they were feeling was the Environmental Effects (EE) scoring system, which is shown below.

The process is to determine your score between 0 (less optimal) and 3 (optimal) for each of the five areas of nutrition, hydration, movement, recovery and emotion. This totals to a score out of 15, which is then used to determine the appropriate programming and type of session to undertake, as is illustrated below:

My EE score stayed between 9 and 11 over the course of the mentorship. The primary reason for this was a low Recovery score. For whilst I wasn’t terribly jet-lagged I’d only arrived in Australia the day before the mentorship started and so was 10 hours off my everyday timezone – I could occasionally feel its’ effects! My highest score was Emotion – I was where I needed to be and enjoying every minute of it. As you can see from above it meant that my training sessions were best suited around being ones where either ‘Recovery and Regeneration’ were emphasised, or where some ‘Light Force’ was introduced. What was great about the EE scoring was that I had used my own awareness to pinpoint where my sub-optimal or Limiting Factor (LF) lay. And it was possible to see the linkage between how the quality of tissue could potentially impact upon the score. During the mentorship we used the EE score to determine the correct programming for ourselves and each other. It certainly showed how useful it was when, for example, we combined our EE score with Heart Rate Variability (HRV) based training; the constant monitoring of our respective HRV with reference to our individual EE scores meant that the intensity of exercise could be changed instantaneously to ensure the programming remained appropriate.

Force At Play

In our discussion and practicals on force, OD and Gareth discussed the principles surrounding it and how varying applications of force can effect outcomes. Scientifically, force is defined as mass multiplied by acceleration. F=ma. So if a movement pattern is sub-optimal could additional force be added? This is where we looked into force further and saw that it was important to consider (i) the point of application and (ii) the direction of application of force, the vectors of force as it were, and how these impacted on the body. In doing so we really brought to the fore the concept of ‘play’. Play is another huge focus of the ODOM philosophy, with the emphasis on seeing play as being permission to simply be, to allow the body to move in all three planes of motion in a challenging, engaging and fun way.

You Never Feel Something That’s Not Moving

There’s such a breadth and depth of application and insight that OD and Gareth share over the course of the mentorship. Golden nuggets of knowledge (like the title above) that can only be fully expressed hands-on, rather than by a handout. How I perceived this was that the flow of discussions and practice is driven largely by the group as a whole. OD and Gareth work as fantastic facilitators in that regard. So what may be a huge talking point on one mentorship may be perhaps only be touched on briefly by another group. What might seem a casual comment may become a pivotal contribution. You’re able to bring up the issues and questions you have and wish to explore or resolve. To enquire, experiment and play with possible solutions to arrive at the outcome or answer you need.

As well as the work (and I associate ‘work’ not with any negative connotations but more so along the lines of learning a craft or a skill) in the studio there was also time to hit the beach at Noosa and play there too, applying the knowledge in nature. On top of all the time devoted during the day, OD and his family kindly hosted everyone on the mentorship at their home each evening for a meal. To be there, sharing food, stories and laughter with everyone was great fun.

Putting It Altogether – Solutions Through Application

The emphasis of the final day of the mentorship was on applying the concepts and principles we’d been exposed to over the previous two days. To attempt to create a transformative experience for each other. Time flew and it was fun not only to coach, but to be coached too. My coaching felt more in sync, largely as I’d witnessed OD and Gareth experiment and play with potential solutions throughout the weekend. They had shown me that it wasn’t necessary to be right first time; it was of greater importance to apply the principles with the person that you were coaching and to be aware of their current state of being. When it was my turn to be coached and after determining my EE score, my coach Cheryl had me playing soccer. OK, it was indoors, it wasn’t strenuous but it was a laugh. My competitive streak harnessed in play of my favourite sport. I felt all the better for it, and it was such a superb way to round off the mentorship.

The Take-Away: Has My Performance Improved And, If So, How?

My performance as a coach has indeed improved. But far more importantly who I am has improved. Considerably. I’m a better person as a result of my ODOM mentorship experience. I resigned from my position one week after returning from Australia. I’d been coming to the realisation that where I was at professionally was unsustainable. The conversations around sustainability on the mentorship gave me an opportunity to listen to the thoughts of everyone on the subject and also to verbalise my own feelings in an objective environment. Whilst the discussion on sustainability during the first morning of the mentorship was predominantly from a business perspective, the focus over the days and meals subtly shifted to how our work impacts on us as individuals. For any vocation is something that one lives, breathes and embodies, not merely something one does. What I hadn’t appreciated beforehand was where I was at personally, and how that was completely unsustainable.

Resigning may seem like a drastic response but I knew I had to take positive action. I’m very glad I did, as in doing so I started having fun again. I’m by nature a largely optimistic, positive person but had found that a lot of the joy I took from my career had diminished. Ultimately I had allowed it to happen and it was my responsibility to address that. It’s no overstatement to say that by resigning I reclaimed ownership of myself, personally and professionally. And whilst one could argue that my forthcoming change of circumstances prompted the shift in my temperament or outlook, I believe it to be a more fundamental change, one that happily remains.

The ODOM mentorship experience also gave me greater confidence to help my clients in aspects that are not limited to merely the physical training session. I found that they and I were more able to discuss what was going on outside of the session, what their obstacles and challenges were out in the real world and then come up with collaborative strategies and solutions.

Guiding clients in adopting the EE scoring system, and empowering them to identify and address their LF, has been and continues to be a revelation. It’s been fascinating to hear clients report that by, for example, addressing nutrition and/or hydration levels when these scores were low, how their pain levels subsequently reduced. It’s made me think wider and deeper on coaching and managing pain and I’m presently working on a number of theories and small-scale experiments with current clients.

It’s OK Not To Know

Something else I’ve taken from the ODOM mentorship and applied is giving myself the space to be wrong. And to be comfortable with it. I believe it’s actually enhanced my rapport with clients and from my perspective this approach has allowed me to have an even greater focus on the person I’m with. I may in the past have been prone to select or change my methods without due consideration of principles. Now it’s the other way around and we all – clients and I alike – see, hear and feel the difference. I still come into each session with a plan, but am increasingly comfortable to set the plan to one side and go with what the client is experiencing right there and then.

What’s In It For Me?

On purely a personal note I use the EE score and determine my LF before each and every one of my own training sessions. I’ve been performing fascial mobilisers at the outset of my day’s exercise since I first became aware of them. I now actively look to have greater awareness, to seek enjoyment in the moment of movement. Perhaps this is why I have found the ODOM philosophy so natural to use, (and maybe why I never felt the need to review the handouts); I constantly apply it to myself. I’ve sought to integrate it into my daily life and I’ve even used the EE scoring multiple times in a day. A good example of this is when I’ve had a full day of coaching clients. I check my score after each session and if it’s flagging somewhere (most likely due to nutritional or hydration requirements) I address that. Perhaps I just need to go outside and breathe fresh air for five minutes. Irrespective of the reason, the EE tool helps me to be objective when I otherwise might be carried away in the moment of my work. It helps keep me grounded.

The OD on Movement mentorship was certainly a wonderful experience for me. One that I, my clients and indeed those around me, continue to reap the benefits from. And you can too, right this instance. The EE tool doesn’t need to be applied exclusively to an exercise routine. Perhaps you have an important meeting to attend, or a project to undertake? Maybe even something as fundamental as getting your day off to a good start? Determine your EE score and, if necessary, take appropriate, positive action to address any LFs. You’ll feel better for doing so and your performance of something that may initially have seemed daunting or stressful will be improved. Play with it, have fun doing so and let me know in the comments how you get on.

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‘My idea is that first of all the players need to recover and then to train’ – Claudio Ranieri.

At the time of writing this post, Leicester City FC are leading the English Premier League. In footballing terms, their rise from the bottom position of the table a year ago, avoiding relegation and now to be top of the league, is the stuff of fairy tales. Commentators, journalists and pundits have discussed, debated and argued over their rise and the means by which they have done it. At the heart of the team’s success is their manager, Claudio Ranieri, a true gentleman of the game.

Last weekend I was listening on the radio to the build-up of a match and the subject of Leicester’s miraculous season was brought up again. Only this time I heard something new in the conversation. The panel were discussing what they, for the best part, regarded as something novel in Ranieri’s coaching methods- that he placed a greater emphasis on recovery than he did on training.

This got me thinking, not simply because I happen to agree with Ranieri’s approach, but because our default mind-set tends to be that in order to achieve something we need to work harder or work smarter. Yet how often do we rest harder, how often do we recover smarter?

The case for (more) rest and recovery

Exercise and movement exert stress on the body, and the extent to which they do is down to a number of factors, including the following:

existing level of fitness;

current volume of training;

current nutrition and hydration levels;

one’s mental and emotional state;

the intensity of the session; and

the amount and quality of rest and recovery beforehand and afterwards.

For the best part exercise related stress, the physical stress our body is placed under is very beneficial to us. It can help regulate energy balance, minimise or offset the potential adverse effects of lifestyle related illnesses and conditions, and elevate mood and metabolic processes to name but a few advantages.

However too much exercise, combined with inadequate rest and recovery, can lead to a host of problems in it’s own right. If you’re already feeling the effects of another stress on your body (eg: from illness) then, depending on the choice, duration and intensity of exercise, the stress effect of exercise could cause suppression of not only the exercise recovery process but the illness recovery process as well. The overall recovery time is increased despite best intentions to create the opposite outcome. Fatigue, susceptibility to illness, sleep, posture, diet – essentially your entire well-being – could all become compromised through this approach. To help make a further distinction on the matter it may be useful to think of your exercise sessions with respect to whether one is at the risk of ‘over-reaching’ or ‘over-training’.

Over-reaching versus Over-training

Over-reaching is not necessarily a bad thing, it’s more likely the result of one or two sessions for which the intensity was not best aligned with ability at that precise time. Over-reaching tends to be acute in duration. Over-training though is something you probably want to avoid. This occurs when there is a constant pushing of limits, when one may be ignoring the body’s warning signs. Over-training is chronic in nature and duration and this can have adverse health implications, especially when it comes to our immune system.

The graph below, taken from an excellent article “Working Out When Sick” by Precision Nutrition, shows the relationship between infection (in this case upper respiratory tract infections) and exercise volume.

Essentially some exercise is better than none or too much when considering the effects on the immune system. This isn’t to say that you can’t have an intense exercise session. Rather it’s important to ensure you have a strong rest and recovery protocol in place to compliment it.

My exercise rest and recovery strategy

With my own training I presently exercise on two consecutive days and then have a day off. At first glance I have a 2:1 work:recovery ratio, hardly in keeping with the content of this post. However, in terms of days, I actually have a 1:2 work:recovery ratio. How so? I do this by training between, for example, 8am and 9am on Day 1, and then between 7am and 8am on Day 2. With Day 3 as a rest day, and knowing that I will train again at 8am on Day 4, I’ve given myself a 48-hour period of recovery. In my two training sessions there is only one exercise that I incorporate into my plan for both days, so even within my sessions I vary my routine to assist with recovery. Why? The reasons are that I want to be able to train injury-free, for my training to be effective, and in line with my current goals. Right now this strategy works for me. At the end of this month I will take a week away from my physical training to allow my body to have time for further repair and growth. I also monitor my Heart Rate Variability (I’ll be posting on this in the near future) on a daily basis so that I can address any unexpected variances that may otherwise impair my rest and recovery.

Within each session I’ve one eye on my goals for that session and one eye on rest and recovery. Here’s some of the strategies I use:

I always turn up with a pre-written plan of the session. For me, I’ve started training the moment I’ve committed the plan to paper as I try to internalise the plan.

I run through a series of fascial mobilisers at the outset of the session to check in and see how my body wants to move in the here and now. With this feedback I can decide whether my plan is line with my body. If not, I adjust where necessary.

Within the session if I feel I need a longer rest between sets then I take it. I don’t compromise quality or technique over time.

I always perform a cool down, either stretches, use of a vibration plate/platform and/or a walk afterwards.

I eat as soon as is practical after my training. (I personally find it difficult to take on nutrients when training and so prefer to simply have water.)

Summary

The emphasis of this post has been more on the physical aspect of performance yet the principles can be applied to most endeavours. I’ve lost count of the times that I’ve solved a matter that was challenging me when I’ve not been consciously working on it, when I’ve stepped away from it. I’m sure you’ve had similar experiences. I take regular breaks when I study. In writing this post I’ve taken a break from it several times. I’ve gone from the physical (note taking) to the digital (computer) and back again throughout the process of creating it, allowing the rest from one medium to inspire the work on the other.

Do plan appropriate rest and recovery into your work and I’m sure you’ll be more energised, productive and happier with your subsequent achievements. So far at least, it’s working for Claudio and his team too!

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Selfish. It’s one of those words that is steeped in negative connotations. Being selfish or acting selfish is something we’ve largely been conditioned to assume is, in some way, wrong or bad. To be selfish is something to feel guilty or be ashamed of. Really? This post is about bringing balance to the notion of being selfish and why being selfish might actually do you a power of good.

On Being Selfish – Part I

I began working with a client recently, one whom needed some help in overcoming an injury. After finding out more on the client’s situation and circumstances I showed them some exercises that I thought would be of greatest benefit. These were exercises that my client could do at home if so desired; no equipment was necessary and they wouldn’t take too long to perform. Yet I suggested to my client that they come to the gym and do the exercises there if possible. The reason? My client has a young family and, being a caring parent, would always put their needs ahead of their own. My client may find it difficult to find time to perform these exercises at home or – to be precise – to put their needs first.

I wanted my client to be selfish.

This posed a challenge but through discussion we agreed it was the best course of action. By taking time to be able to give the exercises complete focus, away from other pressures, my client would be able to help themselves, hopefully gain a feeling of achievement, potentially returning to everyday health sooner and to be able to have the subsequent time spent with their family more enjoyable and fulfilling. To be selfish now (and be OK with it) so as to be in a better position to give going forward.

On Being Selfish – Part II

I consciously have not created a post in the past weeks. For I too was being selfish. I had a re-certification exam paper to take and I wanted to take time to study, refresh my knowledge and pass the exam. I knew my best bet was to do so without the distraction of other matters as far as was possible. I’ve now written the paper and passed it a few days ago. Yet that’s not the end of the story, far from it. In studying in this concentrated manner I realised that whilst there were some gaps in my nutritional knowledge there were larger gaps in my application of what I already knew. The upshot: I have gained fresh insight and know that not only can I be of greater service to my nutritional clients, but that I can be of greater help to all my clients. By being selfish I’ve become a better coach.

Selfishness and Self-Improvement

If you look at most definitions of the word, to be selfish is to act in such a way that is (a) self-centred and (b) to the detriment of others. By contrast, the act of self-improvement is largely cast in favourable light. I believe the reason is due to Part (b), or rather the perceived lack of Part (b) in self-improvement. Self-improvement is not usually associated with actions that are to the detriment of others. Yet I feel there is something of a disconnect here. When someone is considered to be selfish their actions may well be self-centred, but are their actions also always without care or concern for others? Maybe the issue is not with the so-called selfish person but perhaps with ourselves, the person handing out the label? Do we have certain, definite, assumed expectations of the actions of others? And if those expectations are not met, if we are unexpectedly and immediately inconvenienced, then what?

Over To You

Time. You can’t make it, or acquire more of the stuff, but you can take time and choose how you spend it. Time is yours.

What do you want to take time to do? What is the highest and best use of your time? Could you take action in pursuit of that today?

In the two examples I wanted to illustrate that being selfish can be beneficial. With that in mind, what is the selfish thing you could do to improve not only yourself but the lives of others around you?

I look forward to reading your comments and yes, now that I’ve passed my exam I’ll be creating more regular content soon!

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Changing habits for the better and making resolutions to improve your life is something we’ve all done. Some seem harder to begin (let alone achieve) than others, and part of this may be down to when we start. I’m a firm believer in simply deciding to make the change and taking some immediate, positive action. However that’s not for everyone; it’s not always possible and sometimes change takes a bit of planning. Subsequently – in the western world at least – we tend to use Monday as the start of a fresh week, Monday’s the day to quit the bad habit and start the good one.

My suggestion is to make that day a Friday instead of Monday.

Why?

I suggest Friday as most of us tend to have a weekend free of our working obligations, we tend to have more time for ourselves. It suddenly becomes a lot easier to maintain and reinforce the positive change when our usual daily demands are lessened. Then, when Monday rolls around, we’re already into the fourth day of the new habit we’re establishing. As a result there’s not the same feeling of trying to get through the week that exists with a change that is instigated on a Monday.

Over To You

What is one thing you would like to change to improve the quality of your life? Could you make a start, take the first step, however small, today? I look forward to your comments and have a fun and healthy weekend.

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When I worked in finance I was required to undertake ‘Continuing Professional Development’ , CPD, on an annual basis. For the best part I was fortunate; I took action ahead of time and was able to undertake this requirement (in my case a minimum of 40 hours per year) without any last minute panic and therefore mostly by reading up on subjects that interested me. OK, there was only really one area that really interested me – anything associated with leadership and motivational theory.

However, there were several occasions where certain talks or lectures were mandatory; company policy to learn about company policies, or being whisked away from the comfort of spreadsheets to be warned of the latest potential Law or Directive that, if it ever came into legislation, would mean the end of us all. Like a dire prophecy from a fairy tale, but with sub-clauses, caveats and an open-ended consultation period.

You might take from this that I didn’t enjoy doing CPD. Well, yes and no really (as my manager at my first accountancy job was apt to say). Rather, what I didn’t enjoy was the learning experience. I was being asked to learn in an environment, in a style that simply didn’t suit me. So why was this?

Three Styles Of Learning

Essentially, learning can be summarised into three styles:

Auditory (one learns by hearing);

Visual (one learns by seeing); and

Kinesthetic (one learns by doing).

The process of learning can be a combination of all three depending on what is being learnt and the manner in which it is being studied. Whilst none of us are wholly one type, we will have a bias to certain styles of learning. For example, I’m a very kinesthetic learner; I learn best when physically engaged. Let me push the buttons and get my hands dirty. Next would be visual, I’m quite good at picking up a book or an article and engaging with it. So as you can imagine, I’m not a very good auditory learner. And CPD was primarily auditory learning. (Usually served up with a dash of Death By Powerpoint for good measure too.)

Learning For Learning’s Sake

Yet that’s not the sole reason, nor do I believe the key reason that I didn’t enjoy this learning experience. The simple fact of the matter was that I wasn’t passionate enough about my then career. Yes, I was good at it, but I didn’t leave each day with a feeling of achievement, of progress. So learning how to do more of that (career), or learning how to do some of it better was not the solution. For there was no alignment.

Fortunately I no longer experience this. In choosing to work in the world of wellness and health I find that my goals and values are in direct alignment with what I want to learn. The pay-off is in the process. Whether I’m learning the correct technique for a certain exercise or reading up on benefits of a certain yoga style I’m engaged in the learning process as the learning process speaks to my values and motivations.

In coaching I have to meet the needs of each and every client; not only what their goals may be, but also – and perhaps crucially – how best do they learn? How can I repackage my skill and knowledge (ie: information) in such a way that it is knowledge to them (ie: not simply information). How can I give my knowledge in a way that is inspiring and empowering? That is my challenge with learning styles today.

Over To You

How would you describe your feelings towards learning? Which styles and methods suit you best, how do you best learn? Are the things you are studying or learning in good alignment with your values and aspirations? If not, how might you change the playing field to your advantage?